Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-09

felt only the tenderness, and were lgno-
rant Of the passion and agony
Pint II in truth it were not the pas
siona,e love OF O woman, how lit
tle does that differ from the tender,
beart-broken love OF childy Is 1t In
kind or only in degree2 This love
which traced his footsteps everywhere
over the wet moss, under the dripping
bouchs of the trees here he bad stood
and told her the English name OF
the snow-drop, there he had loitered
with her one happy day, teinng her
stories Of his boyhood. And ottenest
of all. through the great armory to the
tower overhead-the tower whence
she was 10 watch for his return. The
villagers coming and going in the val
lev below would often pause to note
her slender figure outlined against the
sky as she stood day by day looking
southwark, shading her eyes from daz,
cling sunrise or sunset which might
percbance blind her to the fact of those
cleaning weapons for which she watch
cd. bow many mornings and eve
n;ncs had she found her way hither
The cold. wet February days, the bit
ter March winds April, with all its
glory Of spring flowers, had oil come
and oone-it seemed to her that she had
seen them come and go from her watch
ON the tower-had seen the full buds
open and swell into green leaf and sum-
mer fIoyer-had lived with each bios
som from first faint hope to glad full
filment. But no cleaning light shone
on his home-returning arms.
Something, however, these SLOW
coming DAYS had brought her his mo-
ther no longer held herself aloof. She
was not a woman prone to caresses, she
had no tender, outwards signs OF love
and Qentleness, but in the bitterness OF
this anguish, which only her own heart
knew, she grew to have feeling al
most akin to envy for the younger life
that dreaded no comments, feared no.
thing. but lived in that constant pilgri-
mage to the grim old tower.
Once in her heart the whisper formed
itself. of / had had n daughter =
but she did not stop to listen, hushed
the whisper with quick, imperious
answer. that a son had sufiiced.
But she no longer went her own way
unheeding. She listened to the girlish
talk. or at least let it flow unchecked (;
now and again she helped the faltering
tongue to frame some new speech in
the language she was so eager to acquire.
And when the summer lay rich add
beautiful on the land, and she noted
that the girls cheeks had lost their
roundness. that the brilliant color had
faded somewhat; that that faint,
tangible something which constitutes
childhood was vanishing under the
long, weary waiting, she owned, stand
ing looking across the garden, its beau
ties hidden under mystic moonlight,
that if the time of love had not come
when he went away that when he re-
turned it would need but the touch OF
his hand, love-lght in his own eyes,
to awaken it.
And would it be there Strife and
war over, would he be ready to fulfil
the promise he had made when he rode
away? Tonight, with no passionate
disclaimer, did she thrust the thought
from her. She sighed, and the sigh
was q prayer that so it might be.
But even while she so thought there
was q hasty knock, and the door was
opened to show Felicite standing on the
threshold with excited eyes and an un-
familiar tremor in her voice, her hardly
learned English forgotten in her agita-
ton.
"He comes !" clasping the white
hands of the elder woman. &" Madame,
come to the tower and you will see.
Up the steep stairs, through the dim
armory, where moonlight danced like
summer lightning on spears and swords
hung up in orderly array ; up further
still TO the great tower, the elder woman
striving to keep pace with the young,
swift feet, to which every stone on the
way was familiar.
Out at last under the still night sky,
where for moment, passing cloud
having obscured the moon, all was dark
and still, as when in the sunset glow
he and she had stood there together
hung down the great flag. not a breath
of air to stir its heavy folds. There
were other watchers now breathlessly
they stood awaiting the returning
moonlight, which was, they trusted, tC
show them the glad sight for which they
with his mother and his little love, had
hoped so long.
1t last, and it was only few mo
mepts, so small was the little cloud, i
had passed, and the light shOne dowr
on the dark array ; shadOwy and indis
tinct, but yet unmistakable, as it tossed
back spears of silver, faint twinklinG
stars, from where it caught and reflect
ed the CLEAN of arms.
Had they time to realize their hope
time TO trust the suspense was over, be
fore those terrified figures were among
them, praying for shelter behind the
castle walls, warning them that tina
far-off, dark advancing cloud was the
successful followers Of him who has
risen in arms against his King? How
much longer before one OF those whC
had escaped that fatal fight, from which
the survivors were fleeing hither anC
thither seeking shelter, had drawn
near enough to tell that the son o
the house was one of those whose live
bad been offered up on Marston Moor
She did not cry or faint, that poo
agonized mother, neither did sh
doubt. She knew it was true, knew
that nevemore should she touch tina
bright hair or kiss him who had beer
everything to her for these many years
such slight relief was not for such woe
She gave her orders, and the castl
gates were closed, and then she turne'
to where desolate Felicite lay on tn
cold stone OF the turret tower
"No need to watch, Felicite," sh
said. "You hear-he is dead be vii
never return"
The elder woman's stony calm wa
shaken when at her words the gin
lifted her head and looked at her. Ih
storm that shook her soul the mothe
envied
"If / could weep like that ~ sh
thought with pang as she noted tn
sobs that shook the slight form, tn
: tears that coursed down the whit
| | cheeks.
Persuasion was useless, force woul
have been cruel, there was nothing bu
to leave her aud Lady Eleanor turne,
} away, taking her stunned, desolate mo